Joining top Indian stars is dream come true: Parthiv

Mumbai: The young wicket-keeper-batsman from Gujarat, Parthiv Patel said on Friday that being with the Indian team in England along with players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly is a dream come true.

Before leaving for London along with three other Test players Wasim Jaffer, Sanjay Bangar and Shiv Sunder Das to join the Indian team in England for the Test series starting from July 25, Patel told reporters it would be a very good experience for him even if he failed to play a single game on the tour.

"I know it will be difficult for me to play in any of the Test matches but if I get a chance to play in any of the side games I will give 100 per cent," 17-year-old Patel said. The cherubic Southpaw from Ahmedabad, who is also the youngest member of the Indian team, attended a special camp for wicket-keepers at Bangalore last month where he interacted with for Aussie keeper Rodney Marsh and Indian stumpers Syed Kirmani and Kiran More.

He was oozing with confidence when he said, "It is a long tour with a number of side games and hopefully I might be able to make an impact if I get a chance in one of the side games." The two Indian opening batsmen Das and Jaffer too were confident of doing well in England.

Das, who failed with the bat in the West Indies, was hoping to get a big score in the first two side games before the first Test at Lord's. Jaffer, who had a reasonably good outing in the West Indies, said he was looking forward to this tour and his dream was to score a big hundred against England.